Huck pretty much spells out the liberal point of view on everything here. Not sure if he had a brain fart and forgot he's on TV to lie or if he can say this and say the opposite tomorrow without his head exploding.

Essentially he argues government needs to step in where private industry's profit motives clash with what's best for humanity. In this case it's medical research but it can be applied to so much more.

Once again, he illustrates the truth that if you take away the labels, many or most people regard ideas underlying socialism and liberalism in a positive light. Take away the red/blue thing, and people will agree we need to work together to help elderly people live out their lives in comfort, help the sick who are in need, and even work toward cleaner air and water. Most people recognize there are social needs that are beyond the influence of the individual to solve, and may even agree there exist significant problems whose solution by private business and industry is unlikely.

Just don't tell 'em some dead white guys called that socialism, and we're all good.

snoqueen wrote:Once again, he illustrates the truth that if you take away the labels, many or most people regard ideas underlying socialism and liberalism in a positive light.

Only if you're a gimme gimme idiot.

snoqueen wrote:Take away the red/blue thing, and people will agree we need to work together to help elderly people live out their lives in comfort, help the sick who are in need, and even work toward cleaner air and water.

I think the idiot is the person who reads someone else express a desire to help those in need as indicative of a "gimme gimme" attitude.

Helping the poor, sheltering the homeless, healing the sick ....Bah! Who needs such tripe when we can instead focus on making ourselves a little richer, right?

Quick question, Sandi: Are you a Christian?

I do help the poor, often more than I can afford, but prefer it not through taxes. I have let homeless acquaintances stay here until they got on their feet. And I donate money and goods to ECHO locally.

That is the Christian way. Paying higher taxes is not the Christian way, that is the progressive,liberal, socialist way of playing Robin Hood to take from the rich and give to the poor. Further, the federal government has no idea how to help local needs.

Christians wait their reward from God, not liberal opinion, friends and neighbors.

Not sure what morality has to do with the issue. Huck's point was that pharma companies interests are in treatment not cure therefore the government (us) should be spending money on cure. Capitalism doesn't work for everything always. Some things must be done without a profit motive, some things can ONLY be accomplished without a profit motive.

Well that part is easy enough- the radical right believes in giving only to the 'deserving poor' which basically means they will help their friends, just a little mind you, and they will be repaid, whether it is directly or the quid pro quo of their group's approval. Taxes encompass the concept of a 'common good' or working together to accomplish something positive is anathema to them- communism- or something worse even. (Remember when they had a fit because the schools were teaching 'secular humanism')

I'm curious to know if any of these Christians who only believe in private charity are providing health insurance for any of the poor people they claim to be helping. My bet is no. Sure, some hospitals are providing a bit of emergency services, but if someone needs $100k in cancer treatment, I very much doubt the Christian charities are ponying up for that.

Galoot wrote:I'm curious to know if any of these Christians who only believe in private charity are providing health insurance for any of the poor people they claim to be helping. My bet is no. Sure, some hospitals are providing a bit of emergency services, but if someone needs $100k in cancer treatment, I very much doubt the Christian charities are ponying up for that.

Check Shriners, for example.

Or Seventh Day Adventist hospitals. There are a lot of them and they provide a lot of free services.